Here's Why Exercising Too Often Could Be Bad For You

Exercise is good for you, right? At least, that's what you've always been led to believe.

Aside from prescription drugs, exercise is commonly "prescribed" to help reverse weight gain, various health conditions, and more.

Unlike prescription medication, exercise rarely comes with a dosage per say. Your doctor may suggest walking for 15 minutes a day, lifting light weights, or jogging three times a week -- but how much exercise do you really need?

More importantly, has a health care professional ever told you too much exercise can actually kill you?

It's true.

You can indeed "overdose" on exercise.

An article published in the Daily Mail highlights a recent medical study regarding exercise.

The study, conducted in Chicago, evaluated three different groups over a 25 year period.

Researchers found that white men who were extremely active had an 86 percent chance of accumulating arterial plaque in the heart by the time they reached 50. White women also fared poorly in the study, but the exact percentage of women who developed arterial plaque is not clear.

African-American men, on the other hand, fared much better and did not accumulate arterial plaque after strenuous workouts.

During the study, researchers split the test group into three groups and conducted several exams over the course of two and a half decades.

The groups were categorized by people who exercised less than 150 minutes per week, around 150 minutes a week, and more than 450 per week.

After the findings were released, researchers are adamant that people should NOT stop exercising. Rather, they recommended more research be conducted regarding what role race and other factors played in their findings.

QCWriter is a journalist who is fueled by espresso and motivated by determination. She specializes in pop culture, country music, and news content. You can follow her on Twitter by clicking here: @QCWriter.